Given name & surname
Emerald
“resembling a prized emerald”
Emerald is a variant of Esmeralda. One Spanish interpretation is “resembling a prized emerald.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Emerald is a variant of Esmeralda. One Spanish interpretation is “resembling a prized emerald.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Emerald is a variant of Esmeralda. An origin associated with Esmeralda is Spanish.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1904. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Emerald through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 10,056
- 538 boys · 9,518 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 423 babies
- 2025
- 399
- #741 for girls · #3,536 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +42%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 367 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 741 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 41.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 32 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (48). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 6,640 as a first name in 2020; 164 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Emerald’s family of names
Emerald has a related form in Esmeralda. Emerald is a vernacular form of Esmeralda. Emerald has a related form in Emmarald.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Emerald
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Emerald, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Emersyn
Emersyn is a feminine given name.
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